Greetings, SkillsUSA Oregon Advisors,
I would like to introduce myself, my name is Samantha Phillips, and the purpose for this introduction is that I have been hired as the interim program director for SkillsUSA Oregon.
If you have not heard, Niki Clausen accepted a position with the national SkillsUSA office as the new Alumni Director! Her position began on November 2. I am sure she will be missed by SkillsUSA Oregon advisors and students.
I have been associated with the CTSO programs here in Oregon for about 10 years. For 7 of those years I was the program director for Oregon FBLA. As the interim director for SkillsUSA Oregon I bring with me experience as a program director, I have worked with State Officers, two Boards, and the National Office. I have successfully planned the fall and state conferences with over 1500 in attendance. I was also instrumental in re-organizing the Oregon FBLA structure by creating a Foundation and recruiting Board members. Although I have this experience, it is with another organization. And so I ask your patience while I learn the SkillsUSA program and events associated with it. I want to honor the fact that each organization is unique and will do my best to bring this organization success. I already know I will have tremendous support from the Board of Advisors and the Board of Directors as we successfully host the State leadership conference and Skills events on April 9-10, 2010 in Albany and take our students on to the national level in Kansas City, in June. I am hoping for your support as well.
As we are painfully aware, the economic times we are currently dealing with are challenging. As educators you are asked to continue to provide your students with opportunities on extremely limited if non-exiting budgets and time. I recognize this is what you are faced with and will do whatever I can to help you run your program successfully within those constraints. We all need to think of the positive things that we still have and not get mired down with the negative situation due to these challenging times. This organization offers so much to the students; leadership and actual hands on competitions. It is unique among the other organizations. Therefore, I challenge you to continue to support SkillsUSA Oregon as you encourage your students to get involved and use it to the full to make that difference.
Here at the state level we have also been affected drastically by the cuts. The operation budget for the all 6 CTSO’s was cut by 30% barely giving enough to service all 6 organizations. As a result, the position I am trying to fill temporarily is now .5fte. (FYI : most all Oregon CTSO organizations are now existing on .5 fte. staffing) As a result, I will only be working about 20 hours a week; I am in the office Tuesdays and Thursdays most weeks. But I am available by email all the time. Please, feel free to communicate with me. As the conference draws closer, I will be spending more time in the office to get everything done. Please help me learn and we will get though this year and into next while the search is being made for the next permanent director.
I am committed to providing your students the opportunities Skills USA Oregon has to offer. Therefore, please take the time to read though my regular communications ( I promise I will keep them much shorter). If you have other SkillsUSA Oregon Advisors in your school please check to make sure they too received this communication, if not, please forward it on to them and let me know the name and email address and I will make sure to include them in future communications.
No matter what the economic climate is our students deserve our best. Please, as a chapter, make use of this program, it is only by your continued support and use of the SkillsUSA program that we can continue to give these unique opportunities to students.
Respectfully,
Samantha Phillips